The blog of the radio announcer for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Midwest League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Walkoff Wednesday (2002 season)

It’s Walkoff Wednesday on Rattler Radio.

Let’s head back to the 2002 season. The Rattlers had future major leaguers like Shin-soo Choo and Greg Dobbs, but it missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1995 season.

This edition of the Timber Rattlers finished with a 53-86 record, including a 23-47 record in the second half.

NOTE: I was busy with the Green Bay Gamblers hockey team (end of regular season and playoff run) for the first month of the season, so I missed some games. However, Mike Antonellis, the Kane County Cougars announcer in 2002, has filled in the blank on the game at Kane County on April 13. If you want to thank Mike – the radio announcer for the Portland Sea Dogs – for his contribution to this project, please visit his blog Inside the Clubhouse with Mike Antonellis.

2002: Timber Rattlers Walkoffs (3):

Sean Peless hit the only walkoff home run for the Rattlers in 2002.

DATE: April 16 OPPONENT: Quad City River Bandits BATTER: Sean Peless PITCHER: Matt Vorwald SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth. GAME WINNING PLAY: Sean Peless hits a two-run home run with no outs in the bottom of the ninth! FINAL SCORE: Timber Rattlers 5, Quad City 3 NOTES: The home run was the second of the game for Peless. This was the 13th game of the season and it was his fourth homer of the season.

DATE: July 19 OPPONENT: Beloit Snappers BATTER: Eddie Menchaca PITCHER: Carl Michaels SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 4-4 in bottom of the 12th inning GAME WINNING PLAY: Eddie Menchaca two-out RBI single scores Luis Cordova. FINAL SCORE: Timber Rattlers 5, Beloit 4 NOTES: This win moved the Rattlers second half record to 6-20. Menchaca has been the manager of the Clinton LumberKings for the last two seasons.

DATE: July 27 OPPONENT: Kane County Cougars BATTER: Luis Cordova PITCHER: Lincoln Holdzkom SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth GAME WINNING PLAY: Kane County first baseman Jason Stokes dropped a throw to first to allow pinchrunner Miguel Villilo to score from second base. FINAL SCORE: Timber Rattlers 3, Cougars 2 NOTES: The game was tied 1-1 in the top of the ninth. The Cougars took the lead on an RBI grounder off pitcher Jeff Perez that let a run home from third. The Rattlers tied the game in the ninth on a two-out RBI double by Chris Collins. Stokes, who crushed the Rattlers during the season, dropped the throw to first and the Rattlers won the game.

Opponent Walkoffs (4):

DATE: April 13 OPPONENT: Kane County STADIUM: Phil Elfstrom Stadium BATTER: Hunter Wyant PITCHER: Lanny Patten SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Timber Rattlers 5, Kane County 4 in the bottom of the ninthGAME WINNING PLAY: Hunter Wyant hit a two-run home run with no outs FINAL SCORE: Kane County 6, Timber Rattlers 5 NOTES: The Rattlers took a 5-4 lead with four runs in the top of the eighth inning. This was after Dontrelle Willis held the Rattlers to an unearned run on three hits over seven innings. BUT, Kane County scored twice in the bottom of the ninth off Lanny Patten for the win. Scott Hicks doubled to start the inning and went to third on an error. Then, Wyant hit his homer.

DATE: April 30 (Game One of doubleheader) OPPONENT: Quad City River Bandits STADIUM: John O’Donnell Stadium BATTER: Michael Sandoval PITCHER: Michael Kesten SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 12th. GAME WINNING PLAY: Sandoval’s RBI double with one out scores Digno Torres FINAL SCORE: River Bandits 3, Timber Rattlers 2 NOTES: This was game one of a doubleheader. The Rattlers tied the game 2-2 on consecutive two-out RBI singles by Miguel Villilo and Shin-Soo Choo. Kesten pitched five scoreless innings of relief and went back out for a sixth. He got the first out. Then, back-to-back doubles by Torres and Sandoval ended this one.

DATE: June 5 OPPONENT: Fort Wayne Wizards STADIUM: Memorial Stadium BATTER: Keto Anderson PITCHER: Lanny Patten SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 6-6 in the bottom of the 12th GAME WINNING PLAY: RBI Fielder’s Choice FINAL SCORE: Fort Wayne 7, Timber Rattlers 6 NOTES: The Wizards had runners at first and third with one out. Anderson hit a grounder to second. The Rattlers got the force at second, but could not turn the double play on Anderson to end the inning and force the 13th inning. That allowed Nick Trzeniak to score the winning run.

DATE: August 26 OPPONENT: Cedar Rapids Kernels STADIUM: Veterans Memorial Stadium BATTER: Nick Gourneault PITCHER: Mike Kesten SCORE BEFORE WALKOFF: Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the eleventh. GAME WINNING PLAY: Gourneault hit a two-out, RBI double to drive in Mike Napoli from first base with the winning run. FINAL SCORE: Cedar Rapids 2, Timber Rattlers 1 NOTES: Kesten got the first two outs of the eleventh, but walked Napoli on a 3-2 pitch. Then, Gourneault laced a double and the Rattlers lost for the 81st time of the 2002 season. They fell to 21-42 in the second half.

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